Britain is replacing the tanks of its brigade stationed in Estonia with drones, saying it is responding to the changing nature of warfare.
“The way of war is changing, and our response must change with it. We know that a more mobile, agile force would have a greater effect against Russia than traditional armour,” the British defence minister at the time, Dan Jarvis, said in Tallinn last week.
As part of the move, Britain is increasing the number of troops stationed in Estonia from 800 to 1,200.
It will also transform its Armoured Battlegroup in the country into a Mobile Anti-Armour Force equipped with high-tech drones, the UK Ministry of Defence said, adding that the country would also pre-position long-range drones in the Baltics.
The lessons of Ukraine show that tanks are becoming less important, according to Tony Lawrence, head of the defence policy and strategy programme at the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS) in Tallinn.
